Actually, no, that's not the case, Gillian; Tekwryter's emails directly to me have been well-formatted. I think this is more an effect of the listserve software doing something unexpected.
John At 04:04 PM 10/19/2007, Flato, Gillian wrote: >One of the aspects of good Tech Writing is usability and formatting >of text to make it easy to read for the end-user. Tekwryter can't >even make an email readable, as you can see by his response below. I >won't hold my breath that his documents are good quality. I guess >the email below is a product of an Agile/XP email system. He also >might consider getting someone to QA his email posts. > >-Gillian > > >-----Original Message----- >From: framers-bounces+gflato=nanometrics.com at lists.frameusers.com >[mailto:framers-bounces+gflato=nanometrics.com at lists.frameusers.com] >On Behalf Of Technical Writer >Sent: Friday, October 19, 2007 3:56 PM >To: john at hedtke.com; framers at lists.frameusers.com >Subject: RE: radical revamping of techpubs > > >Good point.http://www.tekwrytrs.com/Specializing in the Design, >Development, and Production of:Technical Documentation - Online >Content - Enterprise Websites> Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:10:43 >-0700> To: tekwrytr at hotmail.com; gflato at nanometrics.com; >framers at lists.frameusers.com> From: john at hedtke.com> Subject: RE: >radical revamping of techpubs> > You're making an assumption that >the market is driven by quality. It > is not, though that's >certainly a factor. The market is driven even > more by good >marketing.> > At 10:58 AM 10/19/2007, Technical Writer >wrote:> > >And yet people still buy it. If they did not, issues of >quality > >would be irrelevant; only the "quality" items would be >purchased, > >the "crap" would languish on the dealer shelves, and >we would be > >working rather than having >this > >discussion.http://www.tekwrytrs.com/Specializing in the >Design, > >Development, and Production of:Technical Documentation - >Online > >Content - Enterprise Websites> >> >> >Subject: RE: radical >revamping of techpubsDate: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 > >10:55:33 -0700From: >gflato at nanometrics.comTo: >tekwrytr at hotmail.com; > >framers at lists.frameusers.com> >> >> >> >I >have seen enough bug reports in my time to know that quality >is > >not subjective. If the software generates a mile-long list of >bugs > >reported by customers and QA people, the software >application is crap.> >> >> >Thank you,> >> >> >Gillian >Flato> >Technical Writer (Software)> >nanometrics> >1550 Buckeye >Dr.> >Milpitas, CA. 95035> >(408.545.6316> >7 408.232.5911> >* >gflato at nanometrics.com> >> >> >> >> >From: Technical Writer >[mailto:tekwrytr at hotmail.com] Sent: Friday, > >October 19, 2007 >10:52 AMTo: Flato, Gillian; > >framers at lists.frameusers.comSubject: >RE: radical revamping of techpubs> >The same could be said of >pacemakers, missile control systems, and a > >host of others. That >does not change the fact that in most software > >applications, >perceptions of quality are highly subjective.> >> >> >Subject: RE: >radical revamping of techpubsDate: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 > >10:09:42 >-0700From: gflato at nanometrics.comTo: >tekwrytr at hotmail.com; > >framers at lists.frameusers.com> >> >> > >>Qual >ity is primarily a subjective opinion;> > >>Similarly, whether a >product is crap or not is again an opinion, > > not an objective >evaluation that can applied in all cases.> >> >When you work in the >semi-conductor industry making high-tech > >instruments that are >used in fabs (chip fabrication plants), quality > >is not >subjective. If the tool stops running after a few thousand > >cycles >or a part on the tool fails after only a few months of > >running, >then it's objective. A part broke, the Tool shutdown, > >quality is >crap, that's not subjective.> >> >TechWriters in my field document >the software that runs on these > >types of tools. If you go to a >fab, you'll see the type of tools I > >am taking about.> >> >BTW, >why don't you identify who you are? You act so sanctimonious > >yet >you hide behind a moniker. Have some cohones and tell us who you >are.> >> >> >Thank you,> >> >> >Gillian Flato> >Technical Writer >(Software)> >nanometrics> >1550 Buckeye Dr.> >Milpitas, CA. >95035> >(408.545.6316> >7 408.232.5911> >* >gflato at nanometrics.com> >> >> >> >> >From: Technical Writer >[mailto:tekwrytr at hotmail.com] Sent: Friday, > >October 19, 2007 9:37 >AMTo: Flato, Gillian; > >framers at lists.frameusers.comSubject: RE: >radical revamping of techpubs> > And I know of a CEO who used to >either get there first, or let the > > wannabes struggle over the >crumbs. Name of Bill Gates. Quality is > > primarily a subjective >opinion; witness the 90+% of the population > > of the planet using >Windows, despite the occasional Blue Screen of > > Death, or >necessary re-booting orre-installing required. Similarly, > > >whether a product is crap or not is again an opinion, not an > > >objective evaluation that can applied in all cases. The Debian > > >flavor of Linux is considered "the best" by some, and "the >worst" > > by some. The opinions are subjective. Everyone TW wants >to believe > > that he or she is producing quality documentation >that creates a > > warm fuzzy in the user, and makes >customers-for-life of the company > > that produces whatever is >being documented. I simply suggest a > > reality check may be more >useful. If the TW is documenting > > software, perhaps he or she >should change fields to one with a > > slower pace of life (and >writing). The option is to accept the > > realities of the >marketplace, and how those influence and constrain > > the >production of technical documentation. In a world in which > > >dynamic onlne help files are rapidly replacing hard copy >documents, > > it seems more useful to focus on developing a skill >set that > > enables high-volume production of acceptable quality >content, > > rather than obsessing over trivial (to most users) >details of > > grammar, construction, or voice. In that direction >may lie the > > future of TW--get it written, get it online, and >concentrate on the > > Pareto principle of satisfying the needs of >the majority of users > > rather than obsessing over the subjective >opinions of the > > minority. < From: gflato at nanometrics.com> >To: > > tekwrytr at hotmail.com; framers at lists.frameusers.com> > ...or >similar > > biggies realize that time-to-market is >everything, > > > > Time-to-market is not everything if you >sacrifice quality. If > > you're first on the market but your >product is crap, the fact that > > you were first on the market is >irrelevant. > > I know a CEO who > > got fired because all he cared >about is being first on the market > > but his products were crap >and failed often. Other company's that > > were slower to market but >turned out quality products, stole > > marketshare from that >company. The company almost went under until > > the board of >Directors wisely fired him and put a new CEO at the > > helm.> > > >-Gillian> >> >> >Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! >Try Windows Live > >OneCare! Try now!> >> >Boo! Scare away worms, >viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live > >OneCare! Try >now!> >______________________________________________________________ >___> >Climb to the top of the charts! Play Star Shuffle: the >word > >scramble challenge with star >power.> >http://club.live.com/star_shuffle.aspx?icid=starshuffle_wlma >iltextlink_oct_______________________________________________> >> >> > >You are currently subscribed to Framers as >john at hedtke.com.> >> >Send list messages to >framers at lists.frameusers.com.> >> >To unsubscribe send a blank email >to> >framers-unsubscribe at lists.frameusers.com> >or visit >http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/john%40hedtke.com> > >> >Send administrative questions to listadmin at frameusers.com. >Visit> >http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info.> > >Yours truly,> > John Hedtke> Author/Consultant/Contract Writer> >www.hedtke.com <-- website> 541-685-5000 (office landline)> >541-554-2189 (cell)> john at hedtke.com (primary email)> >johnhedtke at aol.com (secondary email) > >_________________________________________________________________ >Climb to the top of the charts! Play Star Shuffle: the word >scramble challenge with star power. >http://club.live.com/star_shuffle.aspx?icid=starshuffle_wlmailtextlink_oct_______________________________________________ > > >You are currently subscribed to Framers as gflato at nanometrics.com. > >Send list messages to framers at lists.frameusers.com. > >To unsubscribe send a blank email to >framers-unsubscribe at lists.frameusers.com >or visit >http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/gflato%40nanometrics.com > >Send administrative questions to listadmin at frameusers.com. 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